so that i have my birth stories in the same place, and in case you guys want to read... here's my first birth story!

written September 2, 2003 1:40 PM for my old online journal:
first child, Timothy Michael, 19 years old (me)

Tim and I were up very late Saturday night, as usual. I was sitting around watching Game Show Network, and he had taken some caffeine pills (he was planning on going shopping early, and had decided not to sleep) and was cleaning the house from top to bottom. After Black & White Overnight ended, I decided I should go to sleep. I fell asleep around 7:30 am. Next thing I know, I am in horrible pain. I open my eyes, and see the clock: it is 9:40 am. I realize it’s a contraction, and instantly think, “this is it!” (note: i was 38 weeks along, due between september 10-14... 10 was my due date, but i now figure i would've been due the 14th) I lay there for a moment, and another one comes. I decide to wait and see how/if things progress. So I get online, post here, and intend to e-mail a couple friends, but am in too much pain to concentrate. So I go down to the basement and find Tim online. I tell him I think we should go to the hospital, and explain what’s going on. He panics, and runs around the house trying to pack a hospital bag (my coming-home outfit was a very short tank top and boxers… ). I want to get in the tub, and Tim insists I start timing the contractions, which at this point, weren’t really all that bad. They’re 2 minutes apart, and ten minutes later, as I’m getting out of the bathtub, they are 1:30 apart. Tim goes and wakes my mom up, and says we have to leave immediately. I didn’t really want to, cos I had planned on staying home for the majority of my labour. But I was hurting so much, I wanted to go and get an epidural. So mom warns Tim not to drive too fast, and says she’ll meet us there in a little while. So we get there, 7 minutes later, and wouldn’t you know, some SUV pulls into the last ER parking space just before us. I got pissed off, cos the people who got out all looked perfectly fine, and here I was, groaning and doubled-over in pain. So we had to park at the main entrance, and walk. Once inside, Tim found me a wheelchair and we went up to the maternity floor. The lady who was signing us in had me so angry I wanted to strangle her. We got there at 11, and it took 20 minutes. Just sitting there, while she effed around. Eventually, I began crying out in pain during the contractions, and I told her that I wanted to go in a room, so that all the people in the halls weren’t watching me act like an idiot. So a few minutes later I was taken to a triage room. The woman there strapped monitors on me, and I told her I needed the epidural. She said I couldn’t have it yet, and another nurse offered to let me have something else for pain. Just then, my water broke. Tim left, to call my mom and tell her to get there. I told my nurse that I felt like I had to push, and she was startled, like, “No! Not yet!” She checked me and I was 6-7, 100% effaced, and baby was at -1. So they wheeled me out before I could get any pain meds. Things start to blur here. I remember seeing Tim in the hall as they were taking me to my room. I was just about crying, and my body would NOT relax. Someone told me to breathe in through my nose, and that really helped. So we got to the room and they were giving me an IV and stuff. We were only there for a few minutes, and then I REALLY had to push. I told them so, and they checked me, and told me that I was complete. I was horrified: no epidural. I told the lady I needed one, and she chuckled, and told me there was NO way. I wanted to die. Or tell them to just give me a c-section. But anyway, I went ahead and let myself push a little, while they set stuff up. My hair clip got messed up so I took it out and handed it to Tim. There were at least 6 people in the room, doctors and nurses. Two were men, and while I didn’t care at that moment, I was really not pleased, as i had specifically requested NO men (i feel they have no part in the delivery process). My mom ran in, and I was complaining that that I was thirsty, and felt like I would pass out. they refused to give me water, so my mom got me some, and they also said that i wasn't going to pass out~ how did THEY know???! i was furious! but they did give me oxygen. I felt drugged, everything was such a blur. They had me lying on my back holding my legs, and i was SOOOO ANGRY about that. I pushed maybe a dozen times. I remember my mom and Tim counting for me. Baby's heartrate was decelerating a bit, so they decided to use the vacuum (they said they were going to, and i thought they did, but i later found out that he came out before they got a chance, thankfully!). I saw the male doctor coming at me with scissors, and yelled, “No!” But he cut me anyway. I also tore pretty bad. Then Boy's head came out. I stopped pushing so they could suction his mouth and nose. Then I pushed once, and he was here! 12:02 pm. I laid back and relaxed, and breathed the oxygen, amazed at what had just happened. They cut the cord themselves, and rushed him to the corner of the room. I saw a little blur of pink. They called out information: 8 lb. 4 oz. And 20 inches. 8/9 on the Apgar. Mom told me that he had my eyes. I didn’t have my glasses on so I couldn’t really see him well. His hair was strawberry blonde, and his head wasn’t the least bit cone-like. “My first thought was, “god, he’s FAT.” He looked amused. Didn’t cry or anything, just looked around, took everything in, with a little look like, "look at all the drama an chaos i caused.". As soon as I was stitched up and stuff, I let Bill, Bree, Tiffany & Aaron come in, they were waiting outside. They gave me Pitocin then, cos I was bleeding heavily, and I also got a really, really nice narcotic, that put me totally out of it. Bill got really upset cos it had been 45 minutes since baby was born, and I had yet to hold him, or even really see him. He left, and when he came back with the nurse, she immediately brought the baby to me. He was so cute! His hair had turned to regular blonde by then. I kissed and cuddled him, then gave him to Tim, and we passed him around the room. I was on a high, and was happily chatting with everyone about the morning’s crazy-fast events. Things calmed down then. My BFF since age 6, Savannah, showed up. Everyone kept telling me what a beautiful baby he was.

Briefly, the rest of the hospital stay: they brought me lunch, and Tim and Bill decided to go out to the bar for a few drinks. Mom stayed with me and Savannah. TMI: I was swollen so badly, I felt as if I were growing a penis. I had to get a catheter, cos I couldn’t pee. Tim came back filthy drunk, everyone at the bar had been buying him congratulatory drinks. He passed out in a chair. I was NOT happy. A social worker came. She was a really nice young woman, and I talked with her about stuff. She said she was there because I was young, and depressed. While she was there, Tim started throwing up all over the place. Nice. I was really insulted that social services came to evaluate me, to see whether i seemed capable of being allowed to keep my child... At around 8, mom and Bill left. I had them take Tim with them, so they could keep an eye on him, and so that Savannah could stay and help me out. I was only allowed one overnight visitor. Dinner was Swedish meatballs. Mmm. I didn’t fall asleep til midnight or so. I woke up at 4am, to take one of my pills, and then I was up for the day. I had a nice nurse helping me breastfeed. But I gave him a few bottles too, cos I wanted to make sure he got enough, since we were having normal troubles getting the hang of nursing, and i was so tired. Time went fast. They took out the catheter, and Dr. Olson said I couldn’t leave til I could pee on my own. Dr. Best (my regular OB) came in to meet and evaluate Baby, and said he was fine to go. I called Tim and he was just about to come over with the carseat. So he hung out with me and Savannah for a few hours. My sister, cousin Val and her friend Desiree stopped in. Baby got circumcised, and had his picture taken. He would not open his eyes for anything. Silly boy. After they made his birth certificate, I was allowed to go. Tim had brought me a new outfit. Jeans. I could only zip them halfway. I asked, “did you really think these were gonna fit me?” He just shrugged, sheepishly. They gave me a copy of his footprints. A nurse wheeled me out to the parking lot. It was raining, so I waited by the hospital for him to pick me up. We went home, and there were 5 cars parked out front. My dad and grandparents came over. Tim and I slept while everyone fussed over the baby. That’s about it.

Other stuff: he’s got big blue eyes like me, and he got Tim’s mouth. He’s very content, and doesn’t cry. He is so beautiful. I’ve scanned a few pictures, and am working on a yahoo photo album. I can’t believe he’s here. I have a son. I can’t believe I had such a short labour. I am in awe of him, we love him so much.